Michael Morpurgo, former Children's Laureate of Britain, is the author of War Horse, called "superb" by the New York Times Book Review and now a major motion picture. He was knighted in 2018 for services to literature and charity. His writing has won numerous award, including the Whitbread Children's Book Award, the California Young Reader Medal, the Red House Children's Book Award, and France's Prix Sorcieres, among others and others. He lives in Devon, England, with his wife, Clare. Together they founded the charity Farms for City Children, which gives children from urban areas an opportunity to spend a week working on a farm in the countryside.
Christian Birmingham is a young artist of outstanding talent. In 1991 he graduated from Exeter College of Art and Design and has since illustrated several highly praised books. Christian lives in Brighton, Sussex.
Virginia McKenna is a British actress who has stared in numerous films and television shows. Her performance in the 1956 film A Town Like Alice earned her a BAFTA Award for Best British Actress. She has also spent many years working as a wildlife campaigner, and for her efforts she was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2004.